The Ultimate Price
by gl2004
Summary: Summary: This is a story of a boy named Glen O’Kerry, a member of Dumbledore’s Army, and a member of the final strike team which took out Voldemort. He shared in the victory, but paid what some might call the ultimate price.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: This is a story of a boy named Glen O'Kerry, a member of Dumbledore's Army, and a member of the final strike team which took out Voldemort. He shared in the victory, but paid what some might call the ultimate price.

"Hey, Glen, wait up!" Glen turned to see Calypso Carr running up behind him. He swallowed hard. Calypso was one of the most beautiful girls in his year, and he'd had a crush on her since they met at the sorting feast in their first year. Five years later, he still had a crush on her, and it seemed like she was finally starting to show an interest. They had become fast friends, and since the beginning of their sixth year at Hogwarts, they had become very close. Glen felt like he finally had a chance to be with Calypso.

"How's it going, Cally?" She beamed at the use of his pet name for her, which nobody else was allowed to use.

"I'm doing okay," she said, catching her breath. "Do you want to sit with me at lunch?" She smiled at him, unsuccessfully trying to hide how nervous she was, which struck Glen as odd. Not only was she a singularly confident person, asking him to sit with her, even if it was in terms of a date, didn't quite seem to Glen like something she should be nervous about. Being one of the prettiest girls in their year, Calypso could have any boy she wanted.

"Sure," he said, smiling.

At lunch, Glen and Calypso talked about everything from their classes to their roommates. Glen had the feeling that Calypso was skirting around something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Finally, near the end of the meal, he learned what she had been really dying to ask him.

"Glen, our next Hogsmeade weekend is coming up this week, and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me."

"What, you mean like a date?" Glen's head was reeling.

"Yeah," Calypso said tentatively, biting her lip nervously.

"I'd love to," he said, a grin splitting his face.

"Great!" Calypso looked like she had just had a terrific burden lifted from her shoulders.

"When should I pick you up?" Glen wanted to make the weekend as much like a date as he possibly could. He didn't want to just meet her somewhere in Hogsmeade, he wanted to actually pick her up, even if that just meant picking her up at the bottom of the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"How about eleven?" They always left for Hogsmeade at noon, so that gave Glen and Calypso time to walk around the grounds a bit. Calypso loved the snow, and she took every opportunity she could to spend time outside when there was snow on the ground or falling.

"Sounds great, I'll see you then." Glen smiled at Calypso, and got up to go to class.

That Saturday, Glen got downstairs by 10:45 to make sure he wouldn't be late. He sat down in a chair by the stairs leading up to the girl's dormitory.

"You're up awfully early," said Hermione Granger, the Head Girl, who was sitting curled up in a chair nearby, with a book on her lap. "I usually don't see anybody down here on a Saturday before 11:30." Hermione only knew Glen through DA, primarily because he was singled out by Harry Potter several times as an example of the right way to do a spell. Glen had a special talent for making spells work for him, and he was one of the few people in DA who could do the spells that were being taught in Hermione and Harry's grade level without any problems. Calypso usually caught up pretty quickly, but Glen almost always mastered the spell on his first few attempts.

"I'm picking up Calypso," he said. "We're going to Hogsmeade together."

"Still a bit early, isn't it? We don't leave for Hogsmeade for over an hour yet."

"I know, but Calypso likes to walk in the snow, so we're going for a walk before we leave."

"That's nice," said Hermione, smiling. "I think it's great that you two are going out. I hope you have fun."

"Thanks." Glen smiled back, and as he leaned back into the chair, Hermione went back to her book.

"Say, Glen," said Hermione, looking up from her book again. "I'm really sorry you didn't make Prefect. I put in a good word to Dumbledore for you. I was hoping you'd make the list."

"It's okay," he said, shrugging. "I figured there were just two people in Gryffindor who deserved it more."

"That's a good attitude to have," said Hermione, nodding. "Still, I wish Dumbledore had taken my advice. I think you would have made an excellent Prefect."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Glen smiled, and allowed Hermione to return to her book once more.

Just then, Calypso came down the stairs. She wore her warm robes over a dark green tank top and blue jeans, with her hair up in a ponytail. Glen stood up as soon as he saw her, and beamed at her.

"You look beautiful, Cally," he said to her as she took his hand.

"Thanks," she said, blushing. "You look very handsome."

"You look very nice, Calypso," said Hermione, smiling at the two of them standing together, holding hands. "In fact, you remind me a bit of Harry and myself last year. I hope you're as happy as we are."

"Thanks, Hermione," said Calypso.

"Thank you very much, Hermione," said Glen. "That really means a lot coming from you."

"Enjoy your date," said Hermione before going back to her book.

Glen and Calypso walked through the empty hallways, both of them a bit too nervous to say anything to the other. Occasionally, their gazes met, and they smiled at each other, but no words were spoken until they reached the doors leading outside. It had snowed all through the night before, and the entirety of the grounds was covered in a smooth white layer of gleaming snow. In fact, it was still snowing softly.

"Oh, it's so beautiful," breathed Calypso as they stepped out into the field of freshly-fallen snow. "I can hardly bear to walk in it," she said, stepping out into the snow carefully. "I love how smooth it is, how can I possibly spoil it?" She turned to Glen questioningly.

"It seems to me that it snowed just for you, just so you could have the pleasure of walking through it." Glen smiled at his new girlfriend. "I think you should be the one to walk in it first."

"You're sweet," said Calypso, squeezing Glen's hand. They walked out together onto the Quidditch pitch.

Glen had chosen the Quidditch pitch because it was rare anybody ever went there aside from during Quidditch matches and practices. Glen tended to visit it when he needed to be alone, to think. He would sit at the base of the stands and either allow his mind to wander, or think about whatever the problem may have been.

"This is where I go to be alone, when I really need to think," said Glen quietly, almost afraid to break the peace of the snow-covered landscape. "Wow," said Calypso, impressed that she had been privy to such a private place. She looked up at Glen, and touched his cheek. "You're cold," she said. "We should go inside."

"I'll be fine," said Glen, warmth shooting through his body at Calypso's touch.

"We should actually be heading back anyway," said Calypso, checking her watch. "It'll be time to leave for Hogsmeade soon, and we don't want to be left behind."

"If you insist," replied Glen. They turned back towards the castle, but Calypso stopped Glen for a moment.

"Glen, I'm already having a terrific time, and I just wanted you to know that I think you're wonderful." She pushed up on tiptoes and kissed Glen on the lips. Glen put his arms around her, and they kissed for a good five minutes.

"Well, I'm certainly not cold anymore," said Glen when they finally separated.

"I'm glad," said Calypso, blushing.

They walked back to the castle together, and paused once inside to brush the snow off their robes.

"You've got snow in your hair," said Glen, brushing it out.

"So do you," replied Calypso. "C'mere so I can get it out." Glen leaned down and allowed Calypso to brush the snow out of his hair.

They reached the departing area just as they were preparing to leave. They checked in with Professor McGonagall before they joined the rest of the group.

"Mister O'Kerry, Miss Carr, enjoy your day," said Professor McGonagall as they left.

Indeed they did enjoy their day. They had lunch at the Three Broomsticks, and spent the rest of the day just walking around in the snow. Glen felt truly happy, more so than he ever could have imagined. The girl he had been dying to go out with for years asked him out herself, and they had spent the day together, doing things they both enjoyed, and simply spending time together.

The next few weeks were heaven for Glen and Calypso. They went on several dates, did homework together, always sat together in meals and in class, and fell deeply in love.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I'd just like to say that the fact that I only got one review for the first chapter, and that it was from a friend, kinda hurts. I thought this was a good story. As a result, I have now posted the entirety of the rest of the story here and now. I hope whoever reads this likes it.

* * *

The Ultimate Price

Three weeks after their Hogsmeade date, disaster struck. The Death Eaters mounted a massive attack on Hogsmeade, and despite local resistance, and the somewhat late arrival of Aurors, the city was taken, and nearly everybody in the city was killed. Everybody in Hogwarts was filled with a horrible sense of helplessness as the news of the devastating loss came in all forms. Many students received letters informing them that a loved one or friend had died in the attack, and a general depression soon settled in over the school. The war was going badly, and the loss at Hogsmeade had taken the lives of many Aurors. The Auror's numbers were cut nearly in half, and the Order of the Phoenix, which had recently become public, had lost several members, including Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mundungus Fletcher.

Glen and Calypso were approached by a very haggard-looking Harry Potter a few days later.

"Dumbledore has asked me to assemble a small strike team out of the best of the DA," he said wearily. It was obvious that the stress and the pressure was building on Harry, who was widely thought to be the only hope left for the Wizarding world. "I would be honored if you two would be a part of this team, but I understand if the danger is too great."

"I think I speak for both of us, Harry," said Glen, looking at Calypso, who nodded solemnly. "We would be proud to help in any way we can."

"I need you to meet me in the Room of Requirement in two days," said Harry. "We'll be leaving then. I recommend that you use the time to set your affairs in order. It's entirely possible none of us will be coming back from this mission. I'll let you know what time we're meeting tomorrow. Please don't speak of this to anybody. If word gets out to the wrong people, the entire mission could be jeopardized. If you have any questions, talk to either Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, or myself."

"We'll be there," said Calypso. Glen nodded his agreement. Harry went off, evidently exhausted by the responsibility he was shouldering.

Soon afterwards, they were approached by Hermione.

"I really appreciate you two agreeing to join us," she said. While she wasn't feeling quite the same amount of pressure as Harry, Glen could tell that it hadn't been easy for her either. "You should know that Harry was asked to pick seven members for the strike team, including himself, and both of you were first picks. The other members of the team are myself, Harry, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and you two. Dumbledore and two Aurors will be accompanying us. I want you to understand the gravity of this mission. I don't want to put undue pressure on you, but it's important that you understand. This mission will likely decide the outcome of the war. If we do not succeed, then it's likely that all of your friends and family will die. If we win, however, the odds are very good that we will have won the war."

"Thank you, Hermione," said Glen. "What do we need to do to prepare?"

"All you need is your wand. We'll let you know of any last-minute preparations that need to be done. You don't need to worry about classes for the next two days. Dumbledore has excused all of us. We are to set our affairs in order, and prepare mentally for the mission. I recommend…" Hermione was a bit choked up, but she recovered. "I recommend writing a will, just in case." Hermione turned to leave, but paused. "And if there's anyone you need to tell anything, I recommend you do that. Don't forget to tell your family you love them." Hermione, too choked up to speak anymore, left to do her own preparations.

"I think we should start writing our letters now," said Glen, starting to feel a bit choked up himself.

"I'll go get my things," said Calypso. "Would you mind if we write them together?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Glen, taking Calypso into his arms. "I'm going to tell you this many more times over the next couple of days, Cally, but I love you."

"I love you too, Glen." Calypso hugged Glen tightly, and neither of them let go for quite awhile.

While Calypso went up to her room to get what she needed to start writing her letters, Glen went up to his room and looked out the window. It was so peaceful out on the grounds, where, once again, a light snow was falling. Glen knew that the next two days would be stressful, upsetting, and grim, but he knew that what he was doing was for the safety of his friends and family. Upon hearing a knock on the door, Glen let Calypso in, and they sat on his bed, writing letters to friends and family. Glen wrote a letter to each of his roommates, which he would put on their beds before they left. He began to write a letter to his father, but couldn't bring himself to actually start writing. Tears began to flow down his face, and Calypso took him in her arms.

"Glen, what's wrong?"

"I'm all he's got," Glen said through tears. "My mom died years ago. It's just been my dad and I. I can't tell him that he might lose his only son. I have to write him a letter, I can't just leave with the possibility of dying, but how can I say goodbye?"

"It's okay, Glen. We'll both come back. We'll have the best Wizards and Witches in the entire Wizarding world watching our back. We just have to make sure we tell our family we love them." Calypso held him for awhile, and when he calmed down, they both began to write again. Calypso wrote a long letter to her parents and younger sister, and had tears in her eyes when she finished. Glen finally began writing the letter to his father.

_Dear Dad, _

_I have to tell you that in a couple of days, I'm going to be joining Harry Potter and several others on a final mission to defeat Voldemort. The fate of our world lies in the balance. I don't know what the odds are of us coming out of this mission alive, but I wanted to let you know that I love you. I'm going to do my best, and the Witches and Wizards who are on the team are the most skilled group ever assembled. I believe that we can win, but it's possible I may not return. I love you, and I hope I'll see you again soon. _

_ Glen_

When Glen finished the letter, he put his quill down.

"I can't write any more right now," he said quietly. "I need to not think about this for awhile."

"Come on," said Calypso, standing up and taking his hand. "Let's go for a walk."

They walked out to the Quidditch Pitch, and they just stood out in the snow for awhile, basking in the peace that the softly falling snow brought to the world.

"I can't imagine living without you, Glen," said Calypso solemnly. "If you didn't come back, I don't know what I'd do."

"My life would be empty without you, Cally." Glen pulled Calypso to him tightly, and they kissed passionately.

When they returned to Glen's room, they continued to write. They were undisturbed by Glen's roommates, who were all in their classes. The two wrote their wills, both of them having trouble getting through it.

"Glen, I think it would be a good idea to write letters to each other," said Calypso softly.

"I think you're right," replied Glen.

_My Dearest Cally, _

_I don't quite know what to say here, just that I love you more than I've ever loved anybody before, and that I've felt more love from you than I've ever known could be felt from anybody. If we both make it back, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Calypso Carr, will you be my wife?_

_ Glen_

Glen sealed the letter and wrote _Calypso_ on the front.

"Promise me you won't open it until we get back," he said as he handed her his letter, and she handed him hers.

"I promise," she said softly. They kissed again, and Calypso went back to her room to put her letter from Glen away, her letters to her friends in her drawer, and to send the letter to her family out with her owl, who she had named Mercury.

The next day, Glen found a letter from Harry attached to his bedpost when he came back from breakfast.

_We meet tomorrow after lunch. Be ready._

That day passed very slowly for Glen. He spent it with Calypso, and they both did their best to be in a mental place where they could be prepared for the possibility that they would have to kill or be killed.

Both of them turned in early, knowing that a good night's sleep would be essential. If they weren't alert the next day, there was very little chance of victory.

Glen woke up the next morning with a horrible sense of dread hanging over him like a vulture over a wounded animal. He shook it off and got up to go to breakfast. Calypso was already in the common room when he came down the stairs, and they went down to breakfast together. Although the Great Hall was filled with conversation, Glen knew that none of the team was a part of it. The stress that Glen felt was stifling. In a matter of hours, he was going to be helping to take on the Dark Lord, and he could barely bring himself to say his name.

Finally, lunch came and went, and it was time to be in the Room of Requirement. Glen and Calypso walked hand in hand through the hallways, already devoid of people, as class had already begun. Filch was patrolling the halls, and as they approached, he bowed deeply and moved out of their way. When they reached the Room of Requirement, Mrs. Norris was sitting in front of the doorway. She blinked at them, and stepped to the side, allowing them to enter.

The rest of the team was already there, along with Dumbledore, Mad-eye Moody, and a woman neither Glen nor Calypso recognized. Harry moved forward, looking like he had aged ten years in the past two days.

"Glen, Calypso, again, thank you for coming. You're already familiar with the members of the DA, and I'm sure you remember Alastor Moody." He gestured towards Tonks. "This is Nymphadora Tonks."

"Call me Tonks," she said, extending her hand. Formalities were dealt with, and an awkward silence crept into the room. The silence was oppressive. Each and every person in the room knew that the odds of success were far from optimal. Even Dumbledore looked concerned.

"Okay, lets get started," said Harry, stepping forward. "Ron has laid out a strategy based on our intelligence gathered." He yielded the floor to Ron, who pulled out a large piece of paper.

"This is the layout of the house that we know to be V-Voldemort's base of operations." Ron waved his wand over the paper, and lines drew themselves out over the paper, in the layout of a mansion. "Professor Dumbledore, I think you should tell them how we're getting in."

"I have gained access, for the purpose of this mission, a new method of travel which is still in experimental stages. I have been assured it will work. It is called a Gateway. It requires the traveler to know exactly what their destination looks like. In this case, only one of our number need know what it looks like." He motioned to Harry. "Harry will be our pilot, so to speak, as he has seen the inside of the Riddle Mansion."

"So," said Ron, moving forward again. "Harry is going to have to be protected by all of us. Only two of our number have the kind of power to be able to defeat the Dark Lord. Therefore, Professor Dumbledore and Harry will stay in the center of the formation. Hermione and I will take point, followed by Moody and Tonks with Harry, then Ginny and Luna with Professor Dumbledore, with Glen and Calypso bringing up the rear. Everybody has to watch everybody else's backs, and nobody gets left behind. I don't want to lose anybody on this mission." He looked up at everybody. "Are there any questions?"

Nobody had any questions, and Dumbledore began the spell to open the Gateway. Harry screwed up his face in concentration, and a hole in space opened up before them. They lined up in their assigned order and prepared to go.

"Good luck everybody," said Harry. He gave Hermione a quick kiss. "I'll see you when we get back," he said quietly.

Glen and Calypso looked at each other. Calypso leaned in towards Glen, and they kissed.

"I love you," whispered Calypso.

"I love you too," replied Glen. They drew their wands, and followed Ginny, Luna, and Dumbledore into the Gateway.

Their timing could not have been worse. The team had picked the perfect place to ambush Voldemort, his private study, but they had walked into an assembly of most of the Death Eaters currently at large. Within seconds, spells were flying everywhere.

"You DARE!" Voldemort screamed as he pulled his wand out. "Crucio!"

Glen heard a female voice scream in agony, and his heart nearly stopped. He began to breathe again when he saw Luna kneeling on the floor, hunched over in pain. He immediately felt guilty that he was relieved Luna was the one who had been hit, but he didn't let his guilt slow him down. He continued to hurl spells at the Death Eaters surrounding the team. He managed to take a few down with full body binds, and to temporarily stop others with stupefying spells, but they were badly outnumbered, and the team was taking more and more hits.

"Avada Kedavra!" A burst of green light came shooting towards Harry, but Hermione shoved him out of the way, and the curse hit a statue by the door, which promptly exploded. A piece of stone caught Glen in the knee, and he went down, his knee shattered. He did his best to ignore the pain, but his aim began to suffer.

After he missed a Death Eater with a wild full body bind, he realized that he could no longer effectively cover Calypso. This realization was brutally driven home when the Death Eater he had missed took aim at Calypso. Glen couldn't hear the Death Eater's spell, but the bright green light issuing from the Death Eater's wand spoke volumes. Glen screamed as Calypso's body went limp, and she collapsed, her lifeless body hitting the floor hard.

With tears in his eyes, Glen picked up the piece of rock that had broken his knee, and with deadly accuracy, hurled it at the Death Eater who had felled Calypso. The stone shard struck the Death Eater in the forehead, and he went down hard.

Glen crawled over to Calypso's body and picked her up, all the while still hurling spells at the surrounding Death Eaters.

A few minutes later, Glen heard the Killing Curse screamed out once again, in a familiar voice. It wasn't Voldemort, it was Harry Potter. The Death Eaters all looked to their leader, and Glen could tell by their shocked and horrified expressions that Harry Potter had succeeded in doing what was thought to be the impossible. He had felled the Dark Lord.

"YOUR LEADER IS DEAD," boomed the voice of Albus Dumbledore, filling the room as only his voice could. "SURRENDER NOW, AND YOU WILL BE SHOWN LENIENCY!" A few Death Eaters knelt down, dropping their wands in surrender. The others, however, continued to throw curses at the team, while beating a fast retreat. Dumbledore bound the Death Eaters who surrendered and were captured, and reopened the gateway. They made their way through the Gateway, Glen assisted by Moody, who took him in one arm, and Calypso in the other.

They emerged in the Room of Requirement, and Moody set Glen down on a chair. There were two beds in the room. Moody set Calypso down on one, and Glen was horrified to see Ron Weasley laying his sister down on the other. Ron sat down on the bed and started crying. Hermione and Harry sat beside him, offering silent support. Luna, who Glen had thought to be immune to emotion, was leaning against the wall, distraught. She was crying silently, and when Tonks tried to offer support, Luna pushed her away and sank to the floor, sobbing. Tonks was a bit shell-shocked, and looked like she didn't quite know what to do. Moody put his hand on her shoulder and guided her away.

Glen felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Albus Dumbledore standing over him.

"The only support I feel I can offer is my ear, but it is readily available." Glen, unable to hold back any longer, collapsed into frantic sobs. Dumbledore took Glen into his arms and allowed him to cry on his shoulder. Glen soon cried himself to sleep.

Hermione Granger walked into the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey nodded her over to Glen's bed. She pulled back the curtains to see Glen staring perplexedly at his progress chart, which had been hanging at the foot of his bed.

"How are you doing," she asked softly, placing a sisterly hand on Glen's shoulder.

"Fine, I suppose," he said neutrally. "I mean, this seems to say that I'm making good progress."

"I mean how are you holding up. You suffered a serious loss."

"A loss?" Glen looked at her blankly, and Hermione began to get worried.

"Calypso," she said, afraid she knew what was going on with Glen.

"Oh. Hey listen, can I ask you a question?" Hermione nodded. Glen pointed to his name on the chart. "This is me, right?"

Hermione paled. She had been hoping against hope that she had been wrong, but it looked like Glen really had lost his memory

"Yes," she said, trying to sound normal. "You're Glen O'Kerry."

"Why can't I remember anything?" Glen seemed upset, but he seemed to be closer to annoyed than to grieving. "Every time I try to remember something, I feel sick to my stomach. Can you help me?"

"I can try," said Hermione. "I just need to go talk to somebody for a few minutes."

"Okay," said Glen. "I can wait."

Hermione made her way out of the infirmary and went to go find Harry. When she found him, he was sitting under a tree by the lake, dozing off.

"Harry," she said softly, shaking his shoulder. He stirred and sat up. "I'm sorry to wake you up, but I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry looked Hermione in the eyes, and could instantly tell that something was very wrong.

"Glen's lost his memory entirely," she said solemnly. "He doesn't even remember who he is."

"We have to help him," said Harry, standing up. "I'm not losing anybody else to Voldemort." Harry became choked up, and staggered. Hermione caught him, and they kneeled on the ground together for a few minutes while Harry tried to stop shaking.

"Harry, there's nothing more you could have done."

"I lost Ginny and Calypso, Hermione. There had to have been something more I could have done."

"Right now, Glen needs you," said Hermione softly. "We won't lose him, but he does need our help."

Harry walked into the infirmary and sat next to Glen on the bed. Glen looked at him blankly, trying to remember who he was.

"Hey, Glen," said Harry.

"I'm sorry, but no matter how hard I try, I can't remember you." Glen frowned, and held his stomach.

"What's the matter?"

"Every time I try to remember something, I get sick to my stomach. It's almost as if my body doesn't want me to remember."

"Glen, I will do everything I can to help you remember, but I think you should know a few things first."

"Like what?"

"Well, just before you lost your memory, you lost someone who was very close to you. We think that may be why you lost your memory."

"I want to remember," he said determinedly. "What else do I need to know?"

"You've just been through a very traumatic experience, and dealing with it once you remember is not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination."

"Is there anything else?"

"You have people who you can talk to, people who will help you in any way they can. You've got a lot of friends, and we're all willing to help you work through whatever you need."

"That sounds pretty strange coming from somebody who I can't even remember." Glen frowned. "I'm sorry, this is all a bit much to take in."

"That's fine, Glen." Harry extended his hand. "Harry Potter."

"Glen…O'Kerry, I think." Glen shook Harry's hand and smiled.

"That's right." Harry smiled.

"By the way, Harry, who was the girl who was in here before?"

"Her name is Hermione. She's my girlfriend, and one of your friends."

"Thanks. Listen, I'm really sorry to be causing all this trouble."

"It's no trouble, Glen. We all just want to see you get better." Harry stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see what I can do about getting you your memory back."

"Thanks, Harry. If there's something you need me to do, just ask. I am, after all, rather anxious to get my memory back."

"Right now, all you have to do is relax and let your knee heal properly. Leave everything else up to Hermione and I."

Harry left the infirmary and headed straight for Dumbledore's office. After standing in front of the Gargoyle guessing passwords for five minutes, Harry stumbled upon the correct one.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" The gargoyle jumped out of the way, and a very surprised Harry entered Dumbledore's office.

"What can I do for you, Harry?" Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his fingers interlaced as he sat patiently, as if he had been expecting Harry.

Harry explained the entire situation to Dumbledore, who sat listening patiently. Finally, when Harry finished, Dumbledore thought for a moment, then stood up. He took his pensieve out of the cabinet in which it was held, and put it on the desk in front of Harry.

"The memories are still there, Harry, they are simply buried. Glen should be able to remove them, put them into the pensieve, and relive them." Harry reached for the pensieve, but Dumbledore put his hand on Harry's to stop him. "This will be a very traumatic experience for him, Harry. It will be harder for him to deal with it now than it was before. If you accompany him, it will be somewhat easier, but know that Glen will suffer great emotional trauma from what he will see in the pensieve."

"Hermione and I will both accompany him, and we will both be there for him as long as he needs us."

Harry took the pensieve and headed back to the infirmary, where Hermione was sitting on Glen's bed. Glen was asleep. Harry set the pensieve down on the table by Glen's bed, and moved to wake Glen.

"Stop this instant," hissed Madame Pomfrey, running out of her office. "You will not wake him," she grabbed Harry's wrist.

"Poppy," said Dumbledore, entering the infirmary. "I think it best to make the attempt sooner rather than later."

"He needs rest," said Madame Pomfrey, who looked rather annoyed that Dumbledore was trying to override her authority.

"He also needs his memory," said Harry. Madame Pomfrey glared at him, but he refused to back down.

"The sooner we catch this, the easier it will be to fix it," said Dumbledore calmly.

"I will allow this only if you will all leave when I say it is time for you to leave."

"Very well," said Dumbledore before Harry could interject again.

"Glen," said Harry softly, shaking Glen's shoulder. Glen opened his eyes and sat up.

"What are we going to do?" Glen looked at the pensieve, and then up at Harry.

"This is a pensieve," said Harry. "It holds memories." Harry handed Glen his wand. "What you need to do is put the tip of the wand against your temple softly, and when you take it away, you need to put it into the pensieve."

"Will this hurt?" There was no fear in Glen's eyes, which impressed Harry greatly.

"No."

"Okay then. Here we go." Glen placed the tip of his wand on his temple. Drawing it away again, he was astonished to see what looked to be silver strands of hair. He put the tip of his wand into the pensieve, and the strands began to coalesce, becoming a thin silver liquid.

"Now, you need to look into the pensieve. You're going to relive your memories. It's not going to be easy, but Hermione and I will be there with you."

"Okay," said Glen simply. They all looked into the pensieve, and fell into the Gryffindor common room. Glen and Calypso were just leaving for their first date, going out to walk in the snow.

"She looks familiar," said Glen. He was beginning to feel the beginnings of stomach pain, but he ignored it.

"You and Calypso began dating a few weeks ago," said Hermione softly. "In that time, you became very close."

As they relived more and more of the next few weeks, Glen began to remember more. Occasionally he would complete a sentence or smile at a particularly happy memory.

Soon, however, they reached the attack on Hogsmeade, and Glen was seized by a sudden stomach cramp. The memory froze around them as he doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain.

"Are you okay?" Hermione knelt down next to Glen.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Just give me a minute." Glen took a few deep breaths, and gradually, he was able to stand up again. Time began moving again, and they jumped to Harry's request that Calypso and Glen join the strike force. Glen noticed that Harry was fighting to keep his composure.

Glen, Harry, and Hermione followed Glen's memory of himself consistently over the next few days of memory. There were very few gaps or jumps in the memory.

As Glen wrote his letter to Calypso, both Hermione and Glen read over his shoulder. Tears leapt to Hermione's eyes, and her hands flew to her mouth. She began to cry, and Harry held her. Glen had a sinking feeling that he knew why Hermione was so upset.

"She doesn't survive, does she?" Glen felt his stomach seize up, but he pushed the pain aside. "I mean, for awhile, I was thinking that Calypso was going to break up with me, what with what you told me about suffering a loss earlier today."

"No, she doesn't," said Harry grimly, looking as though he too was sick to his stomach.

They arrived at the time at which everybody met in the room of Requirement before the attack. Glen watched Harry look from Ginny to Calypso, his eyes a portrait of grief.

Little by little, Glen's memories were returning to him, just a few seconds faster than they were playing out before him. As he watched the stone break his knee, his eyes went wide with horror. He fell to the ground as the green light shot from the Death Eater's wand, connecting with Calypso in a deadly circuit. Harry and Hermione were with him at once, holding him as his body spasmed violently with his sobs.

All at once, they were back in the infirmary, and Harry and Hermione were holding Glen on his bed. He stopped shaking long enough to breathe normally again, and he leaned on Hermione's shoulder, crying hysterically.

Madame Pomfrey made Dumbledore leave, but she understood that Glen needed support, and Harry and Hermione had to be the ones to give it. They both remained at Glen's side as long as he was awake, and when he finally fell asleep, they took turns sitting by his bed.

A few weeks later, a ceremony was scheduled by the Ministry of Magic to present all of the members of the strike team with the Order of Merlin, First Class. Glen refused to attend. He couldn't bring himself to accept any kind of honor when, in his mind, he had failed Calypso in the worst way possible.

Harry found Glen sitting at the base of the Quidditch stands. He sat down next to him, but did not receive even a nod of acknowledgement from Glen, who was deep in his own thoughts. Finally, Glen noticed Harry's presence.

"How did you know to find me here?"

"This is where I go when I need to think too."

"I couldn't go. You understand that."

"You didn't fail her, Glen. There was nothing else you could have done."

"There had to have been something else. There had to have been a way I could have saved her."

"Glen, you can't hold yourself responsible."

"We were watching each other's backs, Harry. I wasn't up to the job, and Calypso paid for it with her life." He turned to look at Harry, anger taking over his expression. "You can't tell me you're not feeling the same thing." Glen stopped himself too late. A dangerous expression crossed Harry's face. "I'm sorry," Glen said softly.

"You're right," said Harry, his expression softening. "I do feel responsible. I was in charge of picking everybody. If I hadn't picked Ginny or Calypso, they wouldn't have died."

"Calypso's will is being read tomorrow," whispered Glen. "I don't know how I can face her parents." Glen leaned back against the support for the Quidditch stands. "I just don't know how I can live without her," he said softly.

The next day, Glen made his way to Dumbledore's office, where Calypso's will was to be read. Calypso's parents were there, and Glen could hardly even bring himself to look at them. While they waited for Dumbledore, Calypso's father spoke to him.

"I know Calypso loved you very much," he said quietly. "I'm glad she had somebody who cared for her as I know you did."

"I'm sorry," Glen said softly, tears beginning to run down his face. "I failed her, and I failed you."

"Don't blame yourself," said Calypso's mother. "The Headmaster told us everything, and it was not your fault. You did everything you could have done."

Just then, Dumbledore entered the office, and sat down at his desk. They began the reading of the will, and the atmosphere of the room seemed to grow heavier as the knowledge that Calypso was dead settled on all present.

Most of Calypso's material possessions were left to her friends and family, but she had left her two most treasured possessions to Glen. The first was her wand. The second was a small box which Dumbledore handed to Glen. Calypso's will specifically asked him not to open it until he had read the letter she had written to him. Dumbledore gave Glen permission to go up to Calypso's room to get the letter.

Glen began the long walk back to Gryffindor Tower alone. He had never felt more isolated, more fundamentally alone, in his entire life. When he reached the Gryffindor common room, he began to walk up the steps towards the girl's dormitory. No alarm sounded, the stairs did not disappear, and Glen slowly made his way up to Calypso's room. A white envelope sat on her neatly made bed.

He picked it up, but before he turned to leave, he sat down on her bed. On the night table beside the bed lay Calypso's textbooks. He picked up her Defense Against the Dark Arts text and opened to the last page that they had learned. In the top right corner of the page there was a small note that Calypso had written him in class. He remembered the class vividly. They were being taught one of the many subjects that Harry had already covered in the DA sessions, so Glen and Calypso weren't paying attention. They spent the entire class writing notes to each other and holding hands.

_I love you, Glen_, read the note. Written below it was Glen's reply.

_I love you too, Calypso, more than words can say_. Glen closed the textbook and put it back on the night table. He left Calypso's room, her letter in hand.

Glen returned to Dumbledore's office, where he was given Calypso's wand in a long, thin box, and the small box containing something very dear to Calypso.

He returned to his room and sat down on the bed. He opened the envelope and began to read.

_Glen, my love,_

_If you're reading this, then I never made it back. First of all, I want you to know that I love you, and will always love you. I wrote two letters. One was to give you if we both made it back, and this one. I think it is important for you to know just how deep my feelings were for you. I would do anything and everything for you, as I know you would for me. If we had both made it back, I was planning on asking you to marry me. There is nothing I would like better than to be your wife. However, even though this desire cannot be realized if you are reading this letter, I still want you to have this. I love you, Glen. _

_ Cally_

Glen, his hands shaking, reached for the small box. He opened it slowly. The golden metal of the ring contained within the box shone in the sunlight streaming through the window. Glen closed the box, and, clutching it to his chest, quietly began to cry.


End file.
